Adventures in Azeroth: Prequel
by Auggusst
Summary: Follow the adventures of Kimbetheli and Blerple of Azeroth. How they fell in love, and the amazing adventures they and their friends Varbath, Pelmather, Niteblood and others get into. They are members of the prestigious guild- The Brotherhood of the Stag, the producers of the Alliance's greatest heroes. Kim and Blerple are destined for greatness, and this is how their story starts.
1. Disclaimer

Let me set this straight.

Anything about the World of Warcraft environments belongs to Blizzard, such as cities, districts, ect.

I have a chapter that specifies what I created.

The character names in this story are based off of players I have met playing WoW, and their stories are based on the stories of those I have met. I did not get their permission, because none of them have been on the game in over a year, so I couldn't.

Some of the lore and storyline might not be perfectly in symmetry with the actual world of Warcraft storyline, because I created this. Don't flame me for it.

None of the official characters mentioned belong to me. They all belong to Blizzard.

The idea for this story is mine, as is Kimbetheli, but the bulk belongs to Blizzard.

Thanks.

Constructive criticism is appreciated, but don't be a douche bag just because you don't like it.


	2. What actually belongs to me

The things I created in this story(Will be updated as the story progresses):

The Hall of the Stag

The island in Stranglethorn

The Brotherhood of the Stag

The League of Stranglethorn


	3. Stormwind I

Stormwind

Part I

Kimbetheli had finally joined a guild of adventurers and special employees of the king. It was called _The Brotherhood of the Stag_, and was held high in the ranks of the Alliance. She had blossomed into a beautiful young woman, and finally wanted to set out and adventure. Kimbetheli was mildly surprised when she was accepted. The guild officials clearly accepted her under-developed gifts, which though common, not many others liked. Kimbetheli was a Warlock, a caster that drew power from the Twisting Nether, a dark place no one in Azeroth had ever been to. With it being such a large and renown guild, she thought it would be much more difficult to be accepted. As she walked around the large capital city of Stormwind, a twinge of awe was in her eyes. Goldshire was ten minutes' ride away from the large city, but she had never been there. Kimbetheli looked at the words scribbled on her sheet of parchment, and looked around at the large wooden signs hanging over doors.

The trade district was bustling, making it hard for her to get around. She was more than once rudely yelled at to get out of the way. The many shops were full of people, and the smell of baking bread invaded her nose. After a quick stop to buy a small loaf with some of the silver she had, she pushed through the crowds. Eventually, she made it out of the trade district and into the canals.

"Whew…" Kimbetheli muttered; glad to be out of the crowd. It was much more peaceful here, but she was still lost. The canals were empty, and the calm water flowed through the city. There were a few fishermen here and there, but no one of particular interest. After asking a guard for directions and walking through the canals and about three districts of the large city, Kimbetheli found the guild headquarters. It was a large building in the old town of Stormwind. There were a few people milling about outside, but otherwise, the area was empty. The sun shined warmly on the bright red rooftops of the old district, and it looked quite inviting, a place anyone would like to live. The silence made her slightly nervous.

Kim cautiously stepped through the door and looked around. It was a large meeting hall, with steps that lead upstairs to an area which she could not see. The candles lit up the room nicely. In the center of the room, there was a long wooden table with several chairs on each side. At the head of the table, there was a large oak chair-presumably for the Guild Master. There were several people here, sitting around the table, who all looked up at her. They were of all different shapes, sizes and races. Some were Draenei, Night Elf, human, dwarf and gnome. One particular strong looking blonde haired man stood from his seat and walked over to her. He bowed slightly.

"You must be Kimbetheli. I am Varbath, the master of _The Brotherhood of the Stag_." He said. Kimbetheli gave a weak smile and nodded, looking up at the man. He seemed to be in his thirties, and the signs of war were on his face, particularly in one large scar on his right cheek. The armor he wore told Kimbetheli that he was a Paladin, a warrior of the light. Kimbetheli had met a few Paladins in her day, but Varbath was already by far the most interesting. She was curious about the scar, but said nothing of it. It seemed strange to her, that such a young face held so much history. His dark blue eyes studied her carefully.

"Hello." Was all she said, looking a little sheepish at the amount of attention she was receiving. Everyone was looking at her. Kimbetheli could feel her face heat up. She worried that her face might be as red as her hair. _'Wonderful…'_ she thought. She shifted her weight to her other foot.

Varbath looked down at the parchment in her hands. "So Pelmather did manage to deliver the message to you? Was it easy to find this place, or did you have trouble?" he asked, looking genuinely concerned. It shocked her a little bit.

Kimbetheli shook her head. "Well, it was madness trying to get here. The only thing the note said was 'Hall of the Stag, Stormwind'. No other directions. I had to ask three guards and walk through half of Stormwind to find this place." She admitted with an undertone of annoyance present.

Varbath furrowed his brows. "Pelmather will get what's coming to him, not giving full directions. Sorry for the inconvenience." He said in his deep voice. Kimbetheli insisted that it wasn't a problem, but he said he would talk with Pelmather later. Pelmather was the only one of the guild Kim had met already, and he had secured her spot in the guild. He was a warrior with light brown hair and blue eyes, a bright smile, and was quite the sarcastic type. From what she had seen of him however, he was fun to be around and had good intentions, even if he wasn't the best at following directions- or delivering them to others.

"Well then, let us get you introduced to the members and get you settled." Varbath said. He put a large, rough hand on her shoulder and led her to the center of the hall. Kimbetheli was promptly introduced to the present members of the guild. The process was short, to her liking. Kimbetheli did not always enjoy the spotlight. She was also given a guild tabard. It was a wonderful thing; dark blue and it depicted a large white stag in the center of it. There was a border of white around the edges as well. Kimbetheli immediately put it on, feeling proud. She noticed many of the other members wore theirs as well. In addition, she was also handed a small notebook full of rules and history of the guild. It was bound in leather and depicted the guild emblem. She saved that for later.

Soon, Kimbetheli was no longer the center of attention, instead just another member of the guild. After milling about a little and receiving welcome from many of the members, she found herself sitting next to a female Draenei warrior. The woman had dark hair and the signature blue skin of the Draenei. Her bright white eyes looked friendly.

"Welcome to the guild." The Draenei said to her with a smile.

Kimbetheli returned the smile with a some effort. This Draenei was certainly at least the twentieth person to say that to her that day. "Thank you! I'm very excited. I have yet to have my first adventure, however." She replied. _If I have to say that one more time, I'm going to slit my throat… _ she thought glumly to herself.

The Draenei nodded. "You will go, in time. My name is Erista; I am pleased to meet you." She said, holding a hand out to Kim. "Kimbetheli." She replied, taking the hand.

Kimbetheli and Erista became friends very fast. Erista told her more about the Draenei, about their home and culture. She found them very interesting. "Perhaps one day you could show me the Exodus." Kimbetheli had said. The Exodus was the capital of Azuremyst Isle, the home of the Draenei.

Erista grinned at her. "The crystals there are beautiful, and they take up entire rooms. Who knows? Perhaps fortune will lead you there." She had said. Kimbetheli shrugged. Maybe Erista was right.

* * *

Kimbetheli was given a room in the guild headquarters; several other members had them as well. Kim herself had few belongings in her old home, so it only took one trip to bring her things there. The room was large, larger than her room back in the inn of Goldshire. There was a large window on the far side, and a small hearth along the right wall. The bed was large and looked comfy. It had white sheets and a beautiful engraving in the wood. At the foot of the bed, there was an empty chest for belongings; and by the left wall, there was a wardrobe. Kimbetheli put her smallest bag down on the nightstand next to the bed and plopped down. She ran her hands over the cool sheets and sighed.

"I could get used to this…" she said to herself. Kimbetheli thought for a while of the future; places she hoped to go, things she hoped to do. She did this while absentmindedly unpacking her things. It didn't take long. Afterwards, she headed down to the main room again.

It was almost dinnertime now, so there were a bit more members at the table this time. The food was delicious and there was plenty of it, and Kimbetheli already felt part of the gang. The whole of the table was deep into several conversations; and the sound of rain outside could be heard.

Erista suddenly turned to her. "This is my fiancée, Eairon." She said, introducing the male Draenei next to her. Eairon nodded to Kimbetheli. "Pleased to meet you. Sorry I was not here to greet you earlier." He said.

Kimbetheli shook her head. "That's alright. Nice to meet you too." She said with a little smile.

After they all finished eating and chatted idly, Pelmather sat on the other side of Kimbetheli, and he was telling a long joke. Kimbetheli blinked. "Are you missing a tooth?" she asked suddenly. He laughed, sort of shyly. "Yeah. Varbath packs a punch." He said.

"He _hit_ you?" Kimbetheli asked in disbelief. Pelmather nodded. " Don't worry, it's nothing serious though." Kimbetheli sighed. "Next time, just write better directions." She suggested. He grinned. "I'll be sure to."

"Hey, has Varbath told you about Blerple?" Pelmather asked suddenly. Kimbetheli held back a giggle. "Um, no. Who is he?" she asked curiously.

Pelmather laughed. "One of our best members. He gets all the important missions. And there's a reason for his strange name, but I'm not sure he'd want me to tell it." He explained.

Kimbetheli nodded. "Seems interesting." She said.

Pelmather nodded, and got a big grin on that face of his. He proceeded to tell Kimbetheli about a lot of adventures he and Blerple had been on, and how Varbath scolded them whenever they did something wrong. This lasted about an hour.

"You two are quite the trouble makers." Kimbetheli laughed. "So where is he?" she asked, playing with her hair.

"Varbath sent him out on a mission a few weeks ago. He was supposed to be back this morning, but as you can see, that didn't happen." Pelmather replied with a shrug. "For once it'll be Blerple who takes a beating, and not me." He joked. Kimbetheli smiled.

A crash of thunder and the thud of the large door opening startled her. For a few seconds everyone was silent and looked toward the door. There stood a man, partially in shadow. Suspicious eyes stared at him. The man pulled off his hood and stepped into the light.

Immediately roars of happiness and appreciation came from the guild members. Kimbetheli raised an eyebrow, only catching a glimpse of him before people crowded around him. Pelmather looked particularly happy.

"Well, I guess Blerple made it after all." He said with a grin.

"So that's him?" Kimbetheli asked curiously. "You weren't exaggerating when you said he was popular in your stories."

Pelmather nodded. "Let's go." He said, standing. Kimbetheli did the same. Varbath had already made it through the large crowd and was speaking with Blerple. He looked cross but there was a happy glint in his eye. Pelmather practically pulled Kimbetheli through the crowd, pushing through people. Finally, she caught a good look of this Blerple.

She was frozen for a second. Yes, there were several handsome men in this guild, but this one was different. There was just something about him that made her want to get to know him instantly. Just to be friends, even. His eyes were a dark green with a tint of brown. He had dark hair and slightly tanned skin, no doubt from his journey. Blerple then noticed her and Pelmather. He grinned possibly the most friendly-and mischievous- grin Kimbetheli had ever seen. After several seconds of rough-housing and teasing between him and Pelmather, they turned to her.

"Blerple, this is our newest member; Kimbetheli." Pelmather explained, gesturing to her.

Kimbetheli and Blerple looked at each other for a second. Soon, a warm smile spread across Blerple's face. "Hello, it's good to meet you." He said, holding out his hand.

Kimbetheli grinned back and took it. Her hand was a lot smaller than his, and the handshake was gentle. "Same here." She replied. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Hopefully only the good stuff." He replied with a slightly nervous laugh.

"Well I did hear you and Pelmather are quite the troublemakers. Maybe I should keep my distance." Kimbetheli said, narrowing her eyes in mock suspicion.

Blerple smirked a little. "Probably. But then you wouldn't have any fun. You'd end up like Varbath over there." He said, jerking a thumb in the direction of the Paladin. The man was half way across the large room, but Kimbetheli could feel the knives his gaze struck Blerple with. Pelmather laughed.

"Well, let's not just stand here. Sit down, and tell us of your journey." He said, slapping Blerple on the back. He agreed, walking over to the long table. Kimbetheli followed, returning to her seat. Pelmather attempted to sit in his seat, but the chair was promptly pulled out from underneath him and quickly occupied by Blerple. He grinned mischievously. Pelmather struggled to his feet and frowned.

"Not fair." He whined. "Come on, get out of my seat."

Blerple shook his head. "Are you sitting in this seat? Then it isn't yours." He replied.

Pelmather grumbled something in response and pulled up a chair. Kimbetheli looked at the two of them, clearly amused. "So, where was your journey to?" she asked Blerple.

He looked at her, clearly excited to recount his tale. Some others gathered around to listen. Blerple had been sent to Loch Modan, to help the dwarven rangers. The senior rangers were busy dealing with conflicts, and recruits had to be taught in the way of stealth. Kimbetheli thought it was odd that they would send a human so far to teach, but apparently Blerple was a huge asset to the alliance. To get to Loch Modan, Blerple took to the tram to Ironforge and rode through the wild and cold of Dun Morogh. Apparently a couple of bears decided to steal his rations at his camp. There were a few other conflicts, but nothing extreme.

"All in all, it wasn't a bad trip." Blerple said in the end. He looked over at Kim. "Have you ever been to Ironforge?" he asked.

She shook her head sheepishly. "No. Not yet." Kimbetheli replied.

He nodded. "I'll take you there one day. It's really interesting there, and dwarves are great company. Great drinkers too." There was a loud murmur of agreement from the other guild members. Kimbetheli smiled. "That'd be nice." She replied. Blerple grinned at her.

"So tell me about yourself." Blerple asked. Kimbetheli and Blerple spoke for a long time, and Pelmather ended up falling asleep in his chair, being pretty much ignored.


	4. Stranglethorn Vale I

Stranglethorn Vale

Part I

"Kimbetheli, have you ever been to Booty Bay?" Varbath asked one morning, holding a letter in his hand. Blerple and Pelmather looked to her, awaiting her answer. She shook her head. "No." _Obviously if I haven't even been to Ironforge, I haven't made it to Booty Bay._ She thought to herself.

"What's wrong?" Blerple asked, taking his feet off of the empty chair next to him and sitting up. Varbath held out the letter for him to read.

"Our allies have agreed to a meeting, in Booty Bay. To discuss the future." He explained.

Pelmather raised an eyebrow. "The future?" he asked. "Why?"

Blerple smacked him on the back of the head. "Because the Alliance just lost hundreds of thousands in Northrend, you idiot." He said, a little harshly.

It was explained that several good members of the Brotherhood had lost their lives in order to take down the Scourge, and the Lich King. The same was said for all guilds of the Alliance, and Horde. Blerple even fought side-by-side with members of the Argent Dawn to bring down the Lich King from his evil reign.

"So now, our brother guild in Stranglethorn wishes to speak about recruitment, and the best way to distribute its members for future conflicts." Varbath said.

Pelmather and Blerple nodded. "Couldn't that just be solved by a few letters?" Blerple asked, raising an eyebrow.

Varbath nodded. "Technically, yes. But to uphold strong feelings of fellowship and allegiance, I see it better to send representatives to meet in person. They've agreed." He explained. Varbath looked at each of them. His gaze stopped on Blerple and Kimbetheli.

"Kimbetheli, since you haven't been on a mission yet, would you like to accompany Blerple on this one?" he asked politely. Kim blinked, slightly surprised. Pelmather sulked.

"How come I don't get to go?" he asked childishly.

"Because your intelligence level makes you insulting to send to a brother guild representative. Or anyone for that matter. Stick to the killing, Pelmather." Blerple replied, patting Pelmather's shoulder. They all looked to Kimbetheli for her response. She smiled sheepishly.

"Alright, I'd love to." She said. Blerple grinned and Varbath nodded.

"Unfortunately, all the gryphons at the roost are unavailable for about a week and a half. They seem to have caught an illness. You'll have to go either by ship or by horse." Varbath explained, slightly frustrated at the difficulty.

Blerple nodded. "So what'll it be, Kim? Horseback or ship ride?" he asked, looking over at her. She thought for a second, feeling a little frustrated that everyone was staring at her.

"Ship, definitely. Horses would cause more trouble, I would say." She answered finally with a sure nod.

* * *

The next morning, Blerple and Kimbetheli stood on the deck of a large ship. It seemed to be full of traders, goods in boxes everywhere. There were however, a few members of the Stormwind Guard-probably to ward off pirate attacks. Kimbetheli felt excited, she had never been on a ship before. It frightened her just a little, but she easily got used to the swaying of the ship on the water, the lapping of the waves. Blerple had no trouble at all, as he had been on several ships in his life. The ship set out at about 7 in the morning, and was estimated to arrive a few hours later the next day.

The first day of sailing went off without a hitch, the weather was perfect and the skies were clear. Mostly she and Blerple watched the water, went over what to say, and talked to crew members on the ship. Most of the traders on the ship looked honest, but after further investigation, it seemed they all had secret plans and goods to sell. This was spoken over far away from the guards on the ship.

There were seven guards- some young, some old, who were all very polite and actually a bit of fun to be around. Blerple even knew a few of them, which didn't surprise Kimbetheli at all. She figured that any operative that worked closely with the military would know its members.

Dinner was fresh from the sea- the cook had caught some indigenous fish and broiled it, along with some potatoes he had brought on the ship. The meal was very good, and you could taste the sea on the fish. Kimbetheli ate fish often, living so close to the lake. However, this was the first saltwater fish she had eaten. She wasn't sure which taste she liked better. But after exchanging stories and laughter, the air in the room got a little too hot. Kim stepped outside to admire the waves in the moonlight.

"Whew…" she sighed, taking in the fresh air. She casted her hair over her shoulder and leaned on the railing, looking out to sea. The buzz of the men inside could still be heard through the closed door.

"Too hot in there?" Blerple asked out of nowhere. Kimbetheli started, whipping around to look at him. He looked apologetic. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He said.

Kimbetheli sighed. "No-it's alright. But how-_when_- did you get out here? I didn't even hear the door open." She said, gesturing to the heavy wooden door.

Blerple shrugged, smirking a little. "I'm really quiet- rogue here, remember?" he said, gesturing to the knives on his belt and the twin short blades. He walked over to her leaning on the railing next to her, and she nodded. "Right…" Blerple looked amused to a second, before his smirk disappeared, replaced by a thoughtful look. Kimbetheli looked over at him.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

He shook his head and sighed. "Oh-no. I'm fine." He lied. Kimbetheli looked at him suspiciously but dropped the subject. Blerple smiled suddenly, a very convincing smile. "So, what made you join the Brotherhood of the Stag?" he asked, turning his back to the water and looking over at her, still leaning.

Kimbetheli thought for a second, pushing a strand of her hair out of her face. "Well…Mostly for something to do. I'm tired of living alone in Goldshire, with people who don't like me, only hearing about great stories and faraway places. I want to _see_ those places, meet the people, and help anyone I come across…I want to be a better me." She said, looking over the water again. Blerple studied her, looking thoughtful again.

"Kim…That sounded so cliché." He said, laughing a little.

Kimbetheli weakly punched him on the arm. "It's true though!" she replied with a '_hmpf'_. "And what about _you_? Why did you join?" she asked, as he apologized. Blerple hesitated to answer, and there was something off about his face.

"The same reason, mostly." He replied. Kimbetheli raised an eyebrow.

"What else?" she asked, looking curiously into his dark eyes.

He looked back into hers for a second, before sighing and looking away. "I'd rather not say." Blerple replied. Kimbetheli nodded, dropping the conversation, although she was still curious. That curiosity followed her through the night, even as she fell asleep in a comfortable bed, having a cabin all to herself.

* * *

When Kimbetheli walked out onto the deck the next morning, the scene was quite different. The sky was grey and darkening, and the sea churned. A few of the people looked nervous, others saw this as normal. Kimbetheli herself wasn't sure what to think, and she studied the clouds, unaware of her surroundings. Blerple poked her in the shoulder, causing her to jump.

"Again?! Perhaps give me a bit of a warning before you decide to scare the Light out of me." She said, looking up at him. He laughed.

"Never. You'll just have to get used to it." Blerple replied. He was about to say something else, but a loud crash of thunder interrupted him. Everyone froze, looking up at the sky. There was a moment of silence, and then the rain began. It wasn't calm rain, no; it was _hard_, pelting rain. People moved to go inside, a few of the crew members shouting orders at each other. Kimbetheli and Blerple looked around, not sure what to do. He laughed nervously.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine." Blerple said.

That is when lightning struck the gunpowder barrels at the bow of the ship.

The force of the explosion threw them and several people back, and Kimbetheli's ears rattled. She struggled to sit up, dazed and confused. Blerple was a few feet away from her, more aware. He looked first to her then to the bow of the ship, which had a large hole in it that was allowing in lots of water. Some people were getting sucked in by the water, others running to the opposite side of the ship. The First Mate raised the alarm, and Kimbetheli found it extremely odd there were no emergency boats. She sighed at Blerple.

"You had to ruin it." She said.

He smiled weakly. Something hit him then. "The documents!" Blerple said, scrambling to his feet. Kimbetheli got up and they ran-uphill it seemed- to the cabins in the ship, which were already overflowing with water. People panicked everywhere, and the roar of the water was deafening.

"What are we going to do?" Kimbetheli yelled over the noise, as Blerple searched around his cabin for the documents. The water was already up to her waist.

"We'll have to abandon ship!" he replied, finding what he needed. Blerple threw the papers into a satchel, attaching it to his belt. Kimbetheli didn't know what to do. The storm was still raging outside, and this ship wasn't going to last. It seemed either way, they weren't going to get out of this easily. The water level was rising quickly. Kimbetheli and Blerple fought their way through the rushing water and onto the deck, which was already mostly underwater. People were getting swept out to sea, or trapped inside the ship. Kimbetheli wanted to go back and help them, but Blerple pulled her towards the unruly sea.

"Waitwaitwait-!" she said, trying to pull the other way.

"Going back won't do us any good! You know how to swim, right?" he said, practically picking her up.

Thankfully, she did know how to swim. On hot days in Elwynn Forest, Kimbetheli and the other children swam in the lake. They did have to watch out for Murlocs- evil water creatures, but it was lots of fun nonetheless. Kimbetheli held tightly to his hand, swirling around in the water. They gasped for breath, the waves crashing on top of them over and over again.

"Blerple!" she called, as his hand slipped out of hers. He tried to answer, but a wave caught him in the face and he was pulled under. Kim panicked and dived under, squinting in the dark water to look for him. The waves pushed and pulled her, and the sound of water around her crashed in her ears. She found him, sinking slowly. Kimbetheli struggled toward him and grabbed him around the waist, tugging him upward to the surface. He was somewhat unconscious, and gasping for breath. The waves had calmed down a bit, and in the distance, Kimbetheli could see land.


	5. Stranglethorn Vale II

Stranglethorn Vale

Part II

The swim over was exhausting- and Blerple finally regained his strength about half-way there. He did the pulling then. Kim felt very tired, but by the time they reached the shore, she felt a little better. However despite being soaked in water, Kimbetheli was no cooler than before. The humid air clung to her skin and drowned her in pressure. Her limbs were tired and sore, and her throat burned. She coughed, the salty water scratching her throat. Blerple seemed to be a little worse, and he spit up quite a bit of water. His bangs were pressed down on his face, he was soaked, and he looked very uncomfortable and slightly out of it. Probably because of his wet armor- and the fact that he almost drowned. He sighed and propped himself up on his elbows. "Are…are you alright?" he asked, looking over at her.

Kimbetheli nodded, slowly sitting up. "Ugh, I knew horseback riding would be safer!" she said.

Blerple laughed weakly. "_You_ were the one that chose the ship. Shame on you." He said, wagging a finger at her.

She sighed. "I know… Where are we?" Kimbetheli asked tiredly.

"I reckon some island off of the coast of Stranglethorn." He replied, looking around.

As Kimbetheli looked around, she noticed a few things. First, their ship was entirely gone, the wreck already under waves and far away, second, there seemed to be no crew members anywhere nearby, not even any bodies to count, and third, there were several crates bobbing up and down in the water, laced with debris and parts of the sunken ship that had drifted over.

Blerple stood up and wiped the white sand off of his armor. He helped Kimbetheli up and looked around. The island they were on looked sort of nice, the white sand with barely any tracks in it, a long beach that transformed into a deep and green jungle. Kim looked around curiously, the sun shining in her face. She found it very odd that the storm had simply disappeared- the sky was clear and blue.

"Where is everyone else? I doubt we're the only two that survived." Blerple said, brows furrowed.

Kimbetheli shrugged. "I'm not sure…but it looks that way." She said. It made her feel a little sad, a lot of the people that were on that ship were very nice to her.

"Well then, it seems we're extremely lucky. We should probably gather some of those crates, before our supplies are lost forever." Blerple said, looking over at her. Kimbetheli nodded. Some of the crates had already submerged; most likely the ones containing spare armor and heavy weapons.

"I'll go get the crates. You see what's here for us to use." She said. Kimbetheli combed through her hair with her fingers and quickly braided it. It'd be easier to swim without her hair getting in the way. She didn't look forward to going back in the water, but it had to be done.

Blerple nodded. He unstrapped his leather shoulder pads, which fell to the ground with a thump. Next, his cloak landed on the sand. Kimbetheli followed his example and took off her robe, thanking the Light while doing so that she always wore pants and a shirt underneath it. They gave a nod to each other and started on their tasks. Kimbetheli waded into the water and swam out a bit. Most crates were easy to carry, and on the first trip, she brought back 5 of them. The next three required a little more effort. She assumed there were weapons or something of the sort in these.

When Kim returned to the beach for good, she had seen Blerple collected a decent amount of wood and large leaves, in which he wrapped the wood for easier transportation. The two stood around the things they collected. Kimbetheli rested her hands on her hips and looked up at him.

"So, this is what we have to work with?" she asked with a sigh.

He nodded. "Seems like it…let's get these crates open." Blerple replied.

The first crate held thick, woolen blankets-handmade, of course. Kimbetheli and Blerple sighed in unison.

"We won't be needing these." She muttered angrily. He agreed.

After opening all 8 crates, they discovered several materials. Weapons, food, spare clothing and a map and compass, and alcohol. Blerple cheered comically at this. There also happened to be quite a bit of illegal items as well, and when Blerple suggested they should sell these, Kimbetheli immediately shot him down. "Immoral." She had said. It seemed all though the people on the ship were nice; they had quite a bit of secret affairs in their trades. While sorting through these items-casting away the illegal ones- and taking inventory, Kimbetheli took a moment to look up at the sky. The sky had darkened ominously, much like when they were on the ship.

"Blerple? I think a storm's coming." Kimbetheli said, tapping him lightly on the arm. He looked up and she pointed to the thick, dark clouds that formed and swirled slightly.

"We'll be fine." He replied with a wave of his hand. Blerple continued sorting. Kimbetheli rolled her eyes. _Men_. She stopped sorting when thunder boomed in the distance. Instead, she started putting things back into crates. Kim grabbed the supplies from Blerple's hands and he blinked.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm putting the supplies away. And then we're going into the jungle. I don't want to get wet a second time today." Kimbetheli replied. She stuffed as many things as she could into each crate. Kim managed to compress their crate amount to 4 crates. She rushed a bit at the end, as the thunder was getting closer. She even saw a few lightening flashes across the sea. Blerple sighed and frowned a little. He dramatically stood up and purposely whined like a child. Kimbetheli rolled her eyes and hid her smile.

"Come on then." She said. And not a moment too soon. Even as they walked towards the cover of the thick jungle, the rain began to pour. Hard. Even rushing, Kimbetheli got soaked. The rain seemed to fall almost sideways, sweeping into the jungle. The raindrops stung against her skin, almost as if she was getting pelted with pebbles. Lightening crashed, and Kimbetheli started to think that large, random storms were common in this part of Azeroth.

"Dammit…" Blerple muttered, looking down at his once again wet clothes. The two looked around. "Well…what now?" Kimbetheli questioned, looking up at him. Blerple thought for a second and shrugged.

"We look for a good camp spot." He replied.

After about an hour of searching, Kimbetheli and Blerple stumbled upon a good spot. She thanked the Light for it. The hour had been spent with several trippings from roots of large and small trees, as well as rain droplets falling off of leaves above them. Although she was the only one tripping. It made her mad and very jealous of his skills. The spot was under a large leaf canopy of nearby trees, yet the area seemed to be a clearing with one tree in the center. It was flattened towards the bottom and gradually curved upward, much like a large lounge chair. Despite the one tree in the center, the clearing was relatively dry and under the cover of rain. The strange tree hung to the side, creating a small cave under it. Kimbetheli declared they put the crates there and moved to do so.

After setting up a simple camp, Kimbetheli sat against the tree and tried to untangle the mess of her hair. Blerple however, did not rest. He hung up their clothes to dry(which was pretty much useless), set up some defenses against wild animals and took down a tiger he found at the borders of their camp. Kimbetheli felt a little childish sitting and watching while he worked. She came over and put a hand on his shoulder.

"At least let me cook some of the food we found." She offered. He reluctantly agreed, although she could see he was happy she had stepped up.

They chatted idly while they ate, fatigue starting to set in a little bit.

"So, how did you like your first time on a ship?" Blerple joked, rubbing his eyes.

Kimbetheli laughed and leaned against the tree. "Well, it wasn't what I expected." She replied. She thought for a second. "Actually, it was _exactly_ what I expected. I figured it would be my luck that the first time I step on a ship, the thing sinks."

Blerple nodded. "Well, it seems you have either very good luck or very bad luck." He replied. "The ship sank, but we did survive." He thought for a second. "Make that instead, 'You have balanced luck'." Blerple said with a little smile.

She smiled a little. "Well, I'm not sure how I feel about that." Kim said.

His face turned serious. "Well I feel great about that. If it weren't for you, I'd be dead." He said. "Thanks."

Kim felt her face heat up and her heart swell with pride. "No problem." She said with a smile.

They talked for a few hours. Mostly of plans, and a few previous experiences. Blerple even offered some advice. Kimbetheli discovered the main piece of advice she would need was 'Don't piss off Varbath', but she could figure that out for herself.

As they talked, the temperature dropped and they found their clothes to still be wet. Ironically, the blankets they complained about from the crates became quite welcome. He insisted that she slept on the tree and he on the ground, but in the end, they sat in the tree, huddled under blankets to keep warm.

"I-I'll never complain about blankets again." Blerple said, shivering a little. Kimbetheli nodded in agreement.

Blerple started chatting about some trouble he and Pelmather got into. A few minutes after, he looked down. Kimbetheli was sound asleep at his side, her delicate features pulled into a small frown. He looked at her, amused by this. Blerple wondered what she could be dreaming about, but he felt himself slipping as well. After readjusting his position, he settled down to sleep, feeling an odd sense of satisfaction with her laying in his arms.

* * *

When Kimbetheli managed to pull open her eyes, the sun was seeping through holes in the leaves of the tree above her. She was-still-wet. Her shirt clung to her skin, making it uncomfortable. Only then did Kim notice she was snuggled against Blerple. Oh yes, she wouldn't mind staying there, but they barely knew each other. Kimbetheli wriggled out of his arms and slid off the tree, feet hitting the ground with a small thud.

She was too late to stop it. Kim turned around just in time to see Blerple fall off of the tree in his sleep, awaking with a jolt.

Blerple immediately drew one of his daggers. "Who-wha-?!" he exclaimed, jumping up.

Kimbetheli tried not to laugh, she really did. But she couldn't help it, and giggled a little.

Blerple looked at her with a shocked expression, and then he blushed a little, stowing his dagger away. "What just happened?" he asked.

"You fell out of the tree. It was kind of my fault, my apologies." She replied.

Blerple grumbled something in response she couldn't quite here and laid down for an extra few minutes of sleep.

After a quick meal a little while later, the two spoke over plans again.

"So, first off, we have to obviously get off of this island." Blerple said.

Kimbetheli nodded. "I figured as much." She said in an amused tone.

"Ha ha ha." Blerple replied. "Then, we've got to navigate our way to Booty Bay. If we show up in Stormwind without completing our mission, Varbath will have both of our asses." He said. "Luckily, we have a handy dandy compass. The only thing we really need is a raft. We'll use the materials we collected."

"Alright. So, let's get started." Kimbetheli replied, standing up and brushing off her pants.

By the time the sun had set, the raft was half built. Blerple explained the building process and how he came to know it(apparently he had been stranded on an island before), and Kimbetheli paid close attention. The raft was a little flimsy looking, but it had 2 layers of wood and large palm leaves tied above, below and between the layers. It would definitely float. After a quick dinner from the rations of a crate, they settled in to sleep again. It was warmer this night, and the blankets weren't needed. This time, to Kimbetheli's annoyance, Blerple did sleep on the ground. "I don't feel like falling off of a tree again." He had said, pouting a bit.


End file.
